Compare towns
Augusta vs Bath vs Sidney vs Bangor
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Maine.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Augusta has the most affordable homes ($201k median).
Bath has the most people working from home (19.3%).
Sidney has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.4%).
Bangor has the most renters (52.8% rent).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Augusta | Bath | Sidney | Bangor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 19,077 |
8,815 |
4,790Lowest |
31,938Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.2% ME: +2.6% |
+3% ME: +2.6% |
+10.4%Highest ME: +2.6% |
-3.9%Lowest ME: +2.6% |
| Median age | 42.5±2.4 5% below ME |
45.4±3Highest about the ME average |
43±5.5 4% below ME |
41±1.3Lowest 8% below ME |
| Bath and Sidney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 18.9%±2.6 ME: 18.1% |
15.5%±3.7Lowest ME: 18.1% |
23.1%±5.6Highest ME: 18.1% |
16.7%±1.7 ME: 18.1% |
| Sidney and Augusta are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 21.5%±2.6 ME: 22.4% |
25.2%±4.1Highest ME: 22.4% |
18.4%±3.6Lowest ME: 22.4% |
19.9%±1.9 ME: 22.4% |
| Bath and Augusta are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 28.9%Lowest ME: 36.2% |
42.5%Highest ME: 36.2% |
33.5% ME: 36.2% |
35.1% ME: 36.2% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±1.1 ME: 5.8% |
5.5%±2 ME: 5.8% |
1.5%±1.2Lowest ME: 5.8% |
10.4%±1.6Highest ME: 5.8% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $47,979±$3kLowest 36% below ME |
$69,390±$12k 7% below ME |
$83,488±$10kHighest 12% above ME |
$59,942±$7k 20% below ME |
| Sidney and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $201,000±$18kLowest 32% below ME |
$310,900±$30k 5% above ME |
$336,200±$34kHighest 13% above ME |
$219,600±$10k 26% below ME |
| Sidney and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $919±$79Lowest 19% below ME |
$1,044±$116 8% below ME |
$1,340±$304Highest 18% above ME |
$1,055±$43 7% below ME |
| Sidney and Bangor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,465Lowest 19% below ME |
$3,847Highest 27% above ME |
$2,474 19% below ME |
$3,076 about the ME average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 49.2%±8.3 ME: 48.4% |
51.3%±15.2 ME: 48.4% |
16.4%±17.5Lowest ME: 48.4% |
51.5%±6.5Highest ME: 48.4% |
| Bangor and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 18.2%Highest ME: 10.7% |
12.4% ME: 10.7% |
6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7% |
17.9% ME: 10.7% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 53.8% ME: 74.3% |
64.3% ME: 74.3% |
89.4%Highest ME: 74.3% |
47.2%Lowest ME: 74.3% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1965 12 yrs older than ME |
1938Lowest 39 yrs older than ME |
1996Highest 19 yrs newer than ME |
1954 23 yrs older than ME |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 19 min 24% below ME |
24 min about the ME average |
25 minHighest about the ME average |
17 minLowest 33% below ME |
| Work from home | 15.1%±3.7 ME: 15.9% |
19.3%±6Highest ME: 15.9% |
14.3%±5.9 ME: 15.9% |
10.1%±2.5Lowest ME: 15.9% |
| Bath and Augusta are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #119 of 133 in ME | #31 of 133 in ME | #15 of 133 in ME | #37 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Augusta Public Schools · Maine Arts Academy | RSU 01 - LKRSU | RSU 18 | Bangor Public Schools · Bangor-Region 4 |
| High school in town | Cony | Morse High School | None in town | Bangor High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 17.9Highest |
14.8 |
— | 13.3Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | None yet |
ME average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.